1 . Enjoy these four stories of wonderful friendships between people and creatures.
Albi the Glowing Cow Boy
By Georgia Bwng. Illustrated by Angela Cogo
On a quiet farm in frosty moonlight, a calf (小牛) called Albi is born. A boy called Rufus lives nearby. Soon. Albi and Rufus set off on an incredible journey-but why are the two so deeply connected and how can they each find what they are searching for?
The Boy Who Saved a Bear
By Nizrana Farook
Nuwan works at a library delivering books, but when he unexpectedly crosses the path of a dangerous group of thieves, he must go on the run. Hiding deep in a cave he realizes he’s not alone-he’s sharing his shelter with a scared bear. Nuwan comforted the bear, so this unlikely pair become friends and are soon working together to stop the bad guys and solve a mystery.
Pax
By Sara Pennypacker, Illustrated by Jon Kassen
Peter has a special bond with Pax-a half-tamed fox cub (幼崽). When a war breaks out suddenly, Peter has to move to live with his grandfather, leaving Pax behind. Can the friends find their way back to each other? This story is accompanied by lots of beautiful illustrations.
Wilder
By Penny Chrimes
When a half-wild girl appears from the marshes (沼泽), the people of a nearby village treat her with doubt. She has a mysterious connection to animals, especially the falcon who circles above her. When the river starts to dry up and a dark sickness begins to spread, the girl sets out to save the villagers.
1. Why do Nuwan and the bear become friends?A.They live in the same place. | B.They have to solve a mystery. |
C.The bear was comforted by Nuwan. | D.The bear saved Nuwan from the thieves. |
A.The force of thieves. | B.An unexpected war. |
C.The decision of Peter’s grandfather. | D.The villagers’ doubt. |
A.They are created with the same theme. | B.Their plots are only full of adventures. |
C.They are accompanied by beautiful pictures. | D.Their characters grew up with their animal friends. |
2 . As reported in the journal Nature, one system can directly remove carbon dioxide from sources ranging from flue gas (烟道气) to the atmosphere by using electricity to induce a water-and-oxygen-based electrochemical reaction. This technological achievement could turn direct air capture (捕获) from edge industry into a promising front for climate change relief.
Most carbon-capture systems involve a two-step process: First, high-pH liquids are used to separate the carbon dioxide, which is acidic, from mixed-gas streams such as flue gas. Next, the carbon dioxide is regenerated from the solution through heating or by injecting a low-pH liquid.
“Once the carbon dioxide is trapped in these solvents (溶剂), you have to regenerate it,” says Haotian Wang, assistant professor at Rice University. “There are literally no chemicals produced or consumed with our process. We also don’t need to heat up or pressurize our device, we just need to put it into a power outlet and it will work.”
Another drawback of current carbon-capture technologies is their reliance on large-scale, centralized infrastructure. By contrast, the system developed in the Wang lab is an extensible, modular, point-of-use concept that can adapt to a variety of scenarios. “The technology can be scaled up to industrial settings-power plants, chemical plants-but the great thing about it is that it allows for small-scale use as well: I can even use it in my office.” Wang says.
Also the reactor can continuously remove carbon dioxide from a simulated (模拟的) flue gas with efficiency above 98% using a relatively low electricity input. Wang notes that the process has “no carbon footprint or a very limited footprint” if powered by electricity from renewable sources such as solar or wind. “This is great news considering that renewablel electricity is becoming more and more cost-effective,” Wang says.
1. What does the author intend to do in Paragraph 2?A.Add up some opposite reasons. | B.Offer basic evidences to the topic. |
C.Summarize the following paragraphs. | D.Provide some background information. |
A.It involves a two-step process. | B.It creates some chemicals. |
C.It is simple and easy to operate. | D.It needs to be used in big plants. |
A.By making comparisons. | B.By listing many numbers. |
C.By providing research results. | D.By analyzing causes and effects. |
A.Unclear. | B.Favourable. | C.Objective. | D.Disapproving. |
3 . Around 3,500 Americans ingest (摄入) batteries every year. It’s apparently such a repeating issue that even a specific hotline was built in the event of such an emergency.
And while it’s unlikely your wristwatch’s power source will ever be safe to eat, that doesn’t mean all batteries will remain uneatable-in fact, some are being designed with digestion specifically in mind.
A team of researchers at the Italian Institute of Technology recently revealed what isl being called as the world’s first fully rechargeable, eatable battery. As detailed in a paper published with Advanced Materials, the new device has made good use of some eatable materials.
“Eatable electronic devices will have major implications for gastrointestinal tract (胃肠道) monitoring, treatment, as well as rapid food quality monitoring,” reads the paper’s abstract, adding that although recent research proved the feasibility of eatable sensors and circuits, “fully eatable electronic devices and eatable power sources are still required, of which there have been very few examples.”
According to the team’s findings, their proof-of-concept battery was capable of producing 0.65 volts, which is safely low enough for the human body to handle. The ingestible could provide 48 μA of current for 12 minutes, or alternatively, a few microamps (微安) for over an hour. Such a power supply could provide enough energy for small electronics alike to eatable pill-shaped modules and other gastrointestinal procedure alternatives.
In a statement, researcher coordinator Mario Caironi explained that such a product could help power monitors for both human health conditions and food storage. Additionally, given their safety, products with stronger power could be used within children’s toys, where ingestion risk is higher.
In the team’s statement, co-author Ivan Ilic also explained that despite the battery’s relatively low power, its digestibility provides a promising example of a battery that doesn’t use any harmful materials.
1. What is the necessity of developing eatable batteries?A.They help with the food shortage. | B.They can avoid the harm caused by eating batteries. |
C.They are useful in some special fields. | D.They have no impact on the environment. |
A.Availability. | B.Flexibility. | C.Responsibility. | D.Possibility. |
A.The application of the battery has a long way to go. |
B.The eatable batteries will be widely used in our life. |
C.The development of the eatable battery is promising. |
D.The eatable batteries will soon be put into production. |
A.News Corner. | B.Story Garden. | C.Language World. | D.Technology Square. |
4 . Christmastime is generally thought of as joyful. But 40 years ago, it was a
A place to call
It was an artificial tree—the
Perhaps it gave us good
Today, the tree is a reminder of our
A.confusing | B.difficult | C.embarrassing | D.annoying |
A.chances | B.hopes | C.jobs | D.lives |
A.easier | B.further | C.less | D.worse |
A.rent | B.sell | C.build | D.donate |
A.fell through | B.went through | C.fell behind | D.went down |
A.home | B.heaven | C.office | D.palace |
A.refused | B.hesitated | C.decided | D.supposed |
A.process | B.progress | C.result | D.practice |
A.bought | B.planted | C.found | D.borrowed |
A.biggest | B.heaviest | C.prettiest | D.cheapest |
A.realize | B.remember | C.wonder | D.imagine |
A.pitiful | B.grateful | C.joyful | D.powerful |
A.gift | B.theme | C.topic | D.object |
A.equipped | B.polished | C.decorated | D.deserted |
A.choice | B.luck | C.support | D.reward |
A.hard | B.necessary | C.urgent | D.possible |
A.still | B.again | C.also | D.even |
A.hide | B.remove | C.repair | D.improve |
A.record | B.quality | C.history | D.function |
A.potential | B.guilt | C.illegal | D.hard |
5 . Back in the day when I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life, I liked to help others, so I was studying to become a firefighter. My parents always encouraged me at that time. As a firefighter, you’re constantly thinking of other people and trying to help them. It’s the mindset. which is the most difficult part in this job!
One night I was heading home and decided to stop off at a burrito (玉米饼) place. I was approached by a homeless man. He was very dirty and obviously hungry. He asked me for some change to buy a little food. As I was pulling some change out, I had an idea.
I decided to see if he wanted to eat a real dinner, so I asked him to follow me back into the Burrito Joint to order. When he followed me in, the people behind the counter refused to let him in. After some arguing, so I had to encourage him to order whatever and however much he wanted. He ended up ordering enough to fill his stomach at least 3 times over!
For someone who has been on the edges of society it seemed like he was very surprised at my kind behaviour. But to me, it was what any “human being” should do or at least offer. I know we see these people every day asking for money but you had to be there to see the look in his face. To me, it reminded me when I was young and my mum brought out a big birthday cake for me on my birthday, with all the candy, getting to experience a big meal. And I think he felt special, like he was getting attention. Again something that I could see he hadn’t experienced in a long time.
I often think about this story, because to me it’s not just about helping someone out by feeding them, but giving him the respect of being a human being and allowing him to feel good about himself was very rewarding.
1. Why does the writer want to be a firefighter?A.To help others. | B.To be famous. |
C.To realize his parents’s dream. | D.To meet the challenge. |
A.They led him into the Burrito Joint politely. | B.They welcomed him but treated him in cold. |
C.They shut the door in his face. | D.They laughed at his dirty clothes. |
A.The man felt guilty about the writer’s generous giving. |
B.The birthday cake reminded the writer to do a good deed. |
C.We should be careful of the people who would ask for money. |
D.The dinner not only satisfied the man’s hunger, but gave him the respect. |
A.A Homeless Man | B.A Meaningful Dinner |
C.To Be a Firefighter | D.An Unforgettable Man |
Offer the service 24 hours a day.
Phone the Information Desk, and your message will be passed on to the room waiter.
● Dining Room
Breakfast: 8:00—9:30
(Tips: The room waiter may bring breakfast to your room at any time after 7:00 am. If you need it, please fill in a card and hang it outside your door before 6:00 am. )
Lunch: 12:00 am—2:00 pm
Dinner: 6:30 pm—8:30 pm
● Telephones
Dial “0” for the Information Desk to put you through with the room waiter. Tell the Information Desk if the morning calls are needed.
● Shop & Coffee House
Business hours:
Shop: 9:00 am—5:30 pm
Coffee House: 12:00 pm—2:00 pm; 8:00 pm—1:30 am
● Other Services
Hot water: It is offered 24 hours.
Cinema: Films begins at 7:00 pm on Sundays and Wednesdays.
Swimming pool: Enjoy yourself at any time if you like. It’s free.
1. When can you get the room service?A.Only at midnight. | B.Any time during a day. |
C.Before 12:00 am. | D.After 12 am. |
A.Phone the Information Desk. | B.Go to the coffee house to have it. |
C.Go to the hotel dining room. | D.Put a card outside your room before 6:00 am. |
A.10:00 am | B.11:30 am | C.12:00 pm | D.1:00 am |
7 . Mark Twain left school when he was twelve. He had little school education. In spite of this, he became the most famous writer of his time. He made millions of dollars by writing. His real name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens, but he is better known all over the world as Mark Twain, his pen name.
Mark Twain was born in 1835 and he was not a healthy baby. In fact, he was not expected to live through the first winter. But with his mother’s tender care, he managed to survive. As a boy, he caused much trouble for his parents. He used to play jokes on all of his friends and neighbours. He didn’t like to go to school, and he constantly ran away from home. He always went in the direction of the nearby Mississippi River. He was nearly drowned nine times.
After his father’s death in 1847, Mark Twain began to work for a printer, who only provided him with food and clothing. Then, he worked as a printer, a river-boat pilot and later joined the army. But shortly after that he became a miner. During this period, he started to write short stories. Afterwards he became a full-time writer.
In 1870, Mark Twain got married. In the years that followed he wrote many books including Tom Sawyer in 1876, and Huckleberry Finn in 1884, which made him famous, and brought him a great fortune.
Unfortunately, Mark Twain got into debts in bad investments (投资) and he had to write large numbers of stories to pay these debts. In 1904, his wife died, and then three of their children passed away.
At the age of 70, his hair was completely white. He bought many white suits and neckties. He wore nothing but white from head to foot until his death on April 21, 1910.
1. Mark Twain left school at 12 to________.A.work as a miner | B.write stories | C.join the army | D.make a living |
A.He was not a healthy boy. | B.He caused much trouble for his parents. |
C.He gained lots of money by writing. | D.He had a happy childhood but a sad later life. |
A.His works | B.His investments |
C.His printing | D.His family |
A.Mark Twain’s Works | B.Mark Twain’s Life |
C.Mark Twain’s Fame | D.Mark Twain’s Success |
8 . Mark Twain left school when he was twelve. He had little school education. In spite of this, he became the most famous writer of his time. He made millions of dollars by writing. His real name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens, but he is best known all over the world as Mark Twain, his pen name.
Mark Twain was born in 1835 and he was not a healthy baby. In fact, he was not expected to live through the first winter. But with his mother’s care, he managed to survive. As a boy, he caused much trouble for his parents. He used to play jokes on all his friends and neighbors. He didn’t like to go to school, and he often ran away from home. He always went in the direction of the nearby Mississippi. He was nearly drowned nine times.
After his father’s death, Mark Twain began to work for a journeyman printer, who only provided him with food and clothing. Then , he worked as a riverboat pilot (领航员) and later joined the army. But shortly after that he become a miner. During this period, he started to write short stories. Afterwards he became a full-time writer.
In 1870, Mark Twain got married. In the years that followed he wrote many books including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer in 1876, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in 1884, which made him famous, and brought him great fortune.
Unfortunately, Mark Twain got into debts in bad investments and he had to write large numbers of stories to pay these debts. In 1904, his wife died, and the three of his children passed away.
At the age of 70, his hair was completely white. He bought many white suits and neckties (领带). He wore nothing but white from head to foot until his death on April 21, 1910.
1. When Mark Twain was a little baby ______.A.he was strong enough | B.people thought he would die |
C.he was as active as other boys | D.he was always in hospital |
A.learned a lot at school | B.often went swimming with other boys |
C.often played games with other boys | D.often made his parents worry about his safety |
A.had a happy childhood |
B.lived a pleasant life |
C.was very naughty when he was young |
D.was a good boy and always did what he was asked to |
A.Mark Twain’s whole life | B.Mark Twain’s childhood |
C.Mark Twain’s achievement | D.Mark Twain’s school |
9 . The journey to the moon has been the first step towards future exploration in space. The distance between the Moon and Earth is very short indeed when compared with the distances between Earth and the other planets. Mars, the nearest planet to Earth is millions of miles away! Travelling to the planets will be man’s next aim. Such travels will be more challenging than the trip to the moon and certainly more adventurous.
Recently, two American spaceships, Vikings 1 and 2, landed on Mars trying to discover whether that planet has any life on it. So far the signs of life on Mars has neither confirmed nor ruled out. Russians have discovered that the surface of Venus (金星) is so hot that it is almost certain that there is no life there. Also the atmosphere of Venus is extremely dense and the pressure is nearly a hundred times greater than that of the Earths atmosphere. Scientists believe man may find planets which have the same conditions as those we have on earth, but man should realize Earth will be his only home for a long time and begin to love and care for it.
1. According to the passage, travelling to the planets will be ______.A.much easier and even more interesting | B.far more challenging and dangerous |
C.man’s final aim | D.man’s first step |
A.whether Mars has any life | B.what is Mars like |
C.what is the atmosphere of Mars | D.whether Mars has water |
A.there is life on Mars |
B.there is no life on Mars |
C.the atmosphere of Mars is not so dense as that of Venus |
D.scientists will have little hope to find the answers |
A.no other planets are to take the place of the earth |
B.everything needed is provided by the earth in |
C.the only home of man will be the earth for a long time |
D.the dream to find another home for man will come true |
10 . We know good manners are important. Today I am going to tell you something about manners in different countries. I think you already know that people in different countries usually have different ways of doing things. Something that is rude in one country may be quite polite in another. For example, in Britain you mustn’t lift your bowl to your mouth when you are having liquid food. That is considered bad manners in Britain. But in Japan you needn’t worry about making a noise when you drink something. It shows that you are enjoying it. In Britain we try not to put our hands on the table at all during a meal. In Mexico, however, guests are expected to keep their hands on the table throughout a meal. In Arabic countries we must be careful with our hands. You see, in Arabic countries you mustn’t cat with your left hand. This is considered to be very impolite. So, what should you do if you visit a foreign country? Well, you needn’t worry. You can ask the native people there to help you and you can just watch carefully and try to do what they do.
1. In Britain we try not to put our hands during a meal ______.A.in the bowl | B.in your mouth | C.beside the food | D.on the table |
A.mouth | B.eyes | C.food | D.hands |
A.In different countries, the manners are the same. |
B.Different manners in different countries. |
C.Good manners are not important. |
D.In Arabic countries we mustn’t be careful with our hands. |
A.Manners | B.Habits | C.Traffic | D.Lights |